TROY >> The YWCA of the Greater Capital Region is under new leadership, and the future of the organization is looking bright.

The mission statement of the Young Women’s Club of America, the oldest and largest multicultural women’s organization in the world, is to eliminate racism, empower women and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.

At the forefront of this endeavor is Daquetta Jones, new executive director of the First Street YWCA. Jones said she has a true admiration for the mission of the club.

“That’s what I’m about. That’s me,” she said.

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Jones started working at the YWCA in December after previous director Sherry Rounds retired. Prior to taking the position, Jones was operations manager of the HIV services program at Whitney Young Health Care Center in Albany.

Jones oversees the entire local chapter of the organization’s administrative and financial aspects, engages with the residents and works to raise awareness. Her first and foremost duty is “making sure that we embody our mission and deliver it. That we believe in that every day, whatever services were providing.”

The YWCA of the Greater Capital Region provides housing for women and children, a food pantry, a community meal every Thursday, a Women in Transition program and assistance for adults seeking local housing. As director, Jones strives for the YWCA to offer “360 degree support” and assure that all needs are met.

A natural leader, Jones has plenty of experience in leadership and management, and is happy to be working in her first executive role.

The former teen mother said the draw to the cause of empowering women is personal.

“I was kind of classified as a statistic,” Jones said. “It was said, being a teen parent, that I wouldn’t graduate from high school and I wouldn’t have a good job.”

Despite the statistics, Jones entered the human services field because she was inspired by the programs and individuals that aided her in achieving her goals.

“The support services available through human services are what led my life to where it is now,” she said. Grateful for their assistance, she owes her success in the field to those who once helped her, and inspired her to follow in their footsteps. “That’s really what got me here,” she said.

Originally from Texas, Jones moved to the Capital District as a teen and graduated from Albany High School a year earlier than expected.

Jones has lived in Troy since 2008. She was first introduced to the Troy area when studying human services at Hudson Valley Community College. She then continued her education at Sage Colleges of Albany, where she pursued a degree in crime and justice policy through the Sage After Work program. In 2011 she completed her master’s degree program at Sage in health services administration.

“I am very excited. I am glowingly happy,” Jones said. “I’m appreciative of this opportunity and I take it very seriously.”

The new job certainly comes with its challenges. With funding becoming scarce as a need still exists, it is crucial that Jones determines how to expand services and raise awareness within a tight budget. Jones plans to do all she can to advocate for the YWCA’s services and ensure that they will continue to be provided.

The YWCA of the Greater Capital Region currently has 96 units, housing 114 women and children. On her to-do list for 2014 is a goal to decrease or eliminate the wait time for individuals seeking housing.

Under their new leadership, the future of the YWCA of the Greater Capital Region is looking bright.

“She really embodies the mission of the organization,” said Malissa Pilette-McClenon, director of Fund Development. “This has been an amazing change for the organization and we’re so lucky to have her here.”

Jones said her favorite part of the new gig is seeing the mission in action.

“That’s what I enjoy,” Jones said. “This is what we say we’re going to do, and we’re doing it.”